For years, Marvel Studios went back and forth over whether or not to produce a Black Widow movie. Rumors began circulating following 2012’s The Avengers, a film in which Natasha Romanoff’s past was hinted at. And for a while, all fans got were hints such as mentions of her supposedly pivotal Budapest mission with Clint Barton (AKA Hawkeye) and a Scarlet Witch-induced flashback to the Red Room in Avengers: Age of Ultron. No longer will these be hints, however, as Black Widow is set to arrive in theaters on May 1, 2020. A teaser trailer dropped this past December, and as someone who’s extremely well-versed in everything Natasha Romanoff (did you know her actual name is Natalia Alianovna Romanova?), I felt it was time to flex my knowledge and let the public in on some tidbits that wouldn’t be obvious to the average Marvel viewer.
- Yelena is NOT Natasha’s Sister
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Natasha may call the blonde-haired woman in the trailer “sis,” but by no means are they flesh and blood. That blonde is Yelena Belova, Natasha’s Black Widow wannabe/frenemy first introduced in 1999. In the comics, Yelena was brought up in the Red Room after Natasha and eventually became the second successor to the coveted Black Widow title. Yelena wanted to be the only Black Widow though and eventually went after Natasha to kill her. Natasha managed to turn her around to a better life, just as she had defected to the United States prior, and Yelena became her ally in time. Actress Florence Pugh who is portraying Yelena in “Black Widow” reassured fans that the movie is not a passing of the torch, but…well, there’s got to be a reason why Natasha went blonde and is wearing Yelena’s jacket in Avengers: Infinity War, right?
- David Harbor is a Captain America Rip-Off
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Many fans were surprised to see Stranger Things star David Harbor pop up in the trailer, donning a thick Russian accent and what seems to be a Captain America-esque suit. Well, that’s no coincidence. Harbor plays Alexi Shostakov, AKA the Red Guardian: the Soviet counterpart to Captain America. What’s far more interesting about Alexi, though, is the fact that at one point in the comics, he was married to Natasha. For a while, Natasha thought he was dead while the Soviet Union sent him out on missions as the Red Guardian — talk about an awkward reunion. It’s not known if Black Widow is going to be following Alexi and Natasha’s story to a tee, but let’s just hope there’s not too much bad blood left between them.
- The (Supposed) Baddie is Taskmaster
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I think the funniest part about reading reactions to the Black Widow trailer was the number of people who thought the masked person with an arrow was Hawkeye. While there are rumors that Jeremy Renner is set to appear, the person with the arrow is actually Taskmaster, a notorious foe to the Avengers in the comics. What makes him quite possibly one of the most deceptive Marvel villains is the fact that he not only knows how to use a bow and arrow, but he knows how to do virtually anything: he has the ability to copy and perfectly replicate the physical movements of anyone he sees. We all know Natasha is quite the fighter, but what happens when she’s met with someone who knows her every move? Despite this, there are fans that think Taskmaster isn’t going to be the main villain of Black Widow, and we all know how Marvel loves to pull tricks on us.
- The Movie is Set BEFORE Endgame
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Your main thought when finding out that Black Widow was coming out was probably, “Wait, she’s dead! How can they be making a movie about her?” Simple: the movie is a prequel set between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. There’s a two-year gap between these movies, and some fans may remember that at the end of Civil War, Natasha had to go on the run after Tony ratted her out to the feds for helping Steve escape at the airport battle in Germany. And as shown in the Black Widow teaser trailer, it seems as though the feds aren’t letting up. Actor William Hurt is reprising his role of General “Thunderbolt” Ross, tasked with bringing in Natasha for violating the Sokovia Accords. And while this may in fact be a prequel, Kevin Feige, President of Marvel Studios, has stated that “there are things that she [Natasha] does in Infinity War and Endgame that you’ll see in a new light once you see the Black Widow.”
- Budapest, The Red Room, and More Will Be Explored
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Remember those hints I mentioned before like Budapest and the Red Room? That, and many more secretive aspects of Natasha Romanoff’s life, will finally be given the recognition they deserve. As a Natasha Romanoff stan, the handful of references to this Budapest mission with Clint have plagued me since 2012. Luckily, Feige also confirmed that what happened there will be explained. The Red Room, the KGB-run program Natasha grew up and learned how to be an assassin in, will also have a role in the movie as (from what we’ve seen) Natasha will be going back to her roots to stop it for good. There’s no guessing what else will be revealed about Natasha’s past, but a comic book history as rich as hers gives Marvel Studios plenty to play with.
